Field School Announcements

Pacific Northwest Preservation Field School
University of Oregon Historic Preservation Program

Eager to learn more about how to preserve historic buildings? Join the Pacific Northwest Preservation Field School for its 25th anniversary this September at the historic Youth Camp at Silver Falls State Park in Oregon!

During three one-week sessions, students will participate in rehabilitation projects on a variety of historic buildings at the camp. Projects include masonry repair, log work, window rehabilitation, roof repairs, condition assessments, cultural landscape investigations, and specialized historic building maintenance. Students live, work, and participate in hands-on projects at the Field School, with additional educational sessions, evening lectures, tours, and special projects throughout the week. Upon completion of Field School, all participants receive a Certificate demonstrating a basic knowledge of historic preservation theory and practice.

The Pacific Northwest Preservation Field School is open to everyone. Whether you are interested in historic preservation, architectural history, archaeology, cultural resource management, historic landscapes and interiors, public history, or historic building trades and maintenance, the Field School offers hands-on experience working with preservation craftspeople in the spectacular Pacific Northwest.

Visit our website for more information and to apply today! Applications

May 20–June 2, 2018

Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest announces its 2018 Architectural
History / Architectural Restoration Field School. The intensive two week program will be held from May 20–June 2.

The program provides an overview of the philosophy, process, and techniques for museum-quality architectural restoration and conservation. Students, professionals, and instructors from any background and discipline may qualify. The program is limited to 10 participants each year. Components include: the history of Thomas Jefferson and his villa retreat; architectural investigation, documentation, and restoration techniques. The program includes visits to other restoration projects and talks from restoration experts. A key part of the program is investigating and documenting an historic structure and producing an historic structures investigation report. This program provides an excellent understanding of the nexus of historic architecture, architectural history, and public history.

Application deadline: April 16.

More information and a typical schedule can be found on the Poplar Forest web site under the Architectural Restoration section.

External Funds: VAF offers the Orlando Ridout V Fieldwork Fellowships for students interested in field schools or other training opportunities. For more information see http://vafweb.org/Ridout-Fellowship

Details: Picturing Milwaukee is a summer research program that provides students an immersion experience in the field recording of the built environment and cultural landscapes and an opportunity to learn how to write history literally “from the ground up.” The 2018 field school focuses on Sherman Park, a racially, economically, and culturally diverse neighborhood known for its artist communities and active neighborhood groups. We seek to employ the enduring creativity of storytelling, learn the power of digital humanities, and understand the depth of local knowledge. Students will learn how to “read” buildings within their urban material, social, ecological and cultural contexts, create reports on historic buildings and cultural landscapes and produce multimedia documentaries.

Schedule: The six-week calendar covers a broad array of academic skills. Workshops during week 1 will focus on photography, measured drawings, documentation and technical drawings; no prior experience is necessary. Week 2 will include archival and historical research focusing on the study of the built environment. Week 3 schedule includes workshops on oral history interviewing and digital ethnography. Week 4 is centered on mapping and archival research. Weeks 5 and 6 will be devoted to producing final reports and multi-media documentaries. Nationally recognized faculty directing portions of this school include Jeffrey E. Klee, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Michael H. Frisch, Professor and Senior Research Scholar, University at Buffalo, and Guha Shankar, Folklife Specialist at the American Folklife Center, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Documentary equipment, and supplies, will be provided, but students must be able to fund their own travel, meals and modest lodging accommodations (if they are from out of town).

Are you interested? Do you have questions? Contact Arijit Sen for details: senA@uwm.edu

Having an opportunity to attend a field school and gain hands-on experience conducting fieldwork under the tutelage of an experienced professional is a significant opportunity for students of the cultural landscape. Work, family and financial obligations, however, prohibit many students from attending traditional field schools which can often require 3-6 weeks away from home. By offering online instruction and assignments before and after a week-long intensive field school, thus reducing the time required form home, the Kentucky Field School is structured to offer these students an opportunity to participate in an immersive field-based learning experience.

The 2018 field school will be taught May 13-20 in Harlan County, Kentucky; the heart of the Appalachian coal fields. While we will be visiting and documenting sites throughout the county, we will be based at the Pine Mountain Settlement School, a National Historic Landmark. The course covers a broad array of academic skills including how to “read” the cultural landscape, reconnaissance survey, site analysis, measured drawings, the ethics of field work, documentary photography, archival research, mapping, oral history and storyscape survey. All lessons will focus on three core learning objectives:

Innovative models for integrating local knowledge into the documentation process;